Despite criticism from the Guard and the governors, senior Air Force officials say they did, in fact, consult, and made the case for eliminating older aircraft and shifting assets to make units more efficient. Jumper told the commissioners, “We don’t consider disagreements with a few adjutant generals out there in the states as a rift between the Air Force and the National Guard.”
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
